OFFWhat if? Sequel to Spirited Away? You betcha
by Scarlet Sunsets
Summary: There's a welcome back party at the Bathhouse for Haku and Chihiro.  All goes well, and the night ends with a pretty big boom  semi-literal . Though, in the back of their minds, everyone still wonders- "Who plagued Haku?" CHAPTER 11 IS UP! :D
1. What if? The crossovers

"What if…" The two words that have been running through Haku's mind constantly, ever since the little human girl, Chihiro, left.

"What if Chihiro had guessed wrong…"

"What if Chihiro could have stayed…"

"What if Chihiro was a spirit…"

And so on and so forth. "Earth to Haku! You're in love with a human girl who you haven't seen in years! When will you learn to move on?" Lin would continuously say. Haku denied ever being in love with Chihiro. Sure, he had liked her. But what did a 12-year old boy know about love? Though, a part of Haku knew that Lin was right. He _was_ in love. Ever since he met Chihiro, he had seen more than just a lost little human girl. He saw potential. Haku didn't realize that he was in love at the time. Like he said before, what did he know about love? Chihiro had saved his life. She had helped him find his name again…And now what? A life where Lin thinks he's going crazy, where Yubaba gives him death glares every time he goes to work (despite the fact that spirits can't really die…) Haku remembered Chihiro when they first met. She was a tiny, scared, mesmerized human girl who was confused and lost. Haku wanted to help her and get her home safely. The longer she stayed, though, the more Haku bonded with her. At one point, he thought that maybe, _just maybe_, Chihiro had liked him back? When he was sitting in Kamajii's boiler room, listening to him ramble on and on about true love…When they were falling through the sky, after Chihiro had told him his real name…Haku was close enough to kiss her…And now he kicked himself every day for not doing so. He was young and in love (though clueless about it) and now wanted nothing more than to see his Little One again…

15-year old Chihiro sat on her bed one rainy morning. 5 years had passed since she left the Bathhouse. 5 years since she left Lin, No-Face, Bôh, Zeniba, Yubaba even…But most importantly, 5 years since she left Haku. Chihiro hadn't gone crazy, nor shown any remote sign of doing so. She lived a 90% normal life: Caring, overprotective parents, good grades, a few close friends, and a new baby brother, Kenji. The other 10% not-so-normal part of her life was her secret obsession over a boy that she hadn't seen in 5 years. Chihiro was only 10 when she met and knew Haku, but since when did love have rules? She missed him dearly, and dreamt of him almost every night. When she though hard, Chihiro remembered their truly amazing experience- when she had figured out Haku's real name, falling through the night sky, embracing each other. They were so close, close enough to kiss. But why didn't they? It didn't make sense. Chihiro wasn't conceited, but for a little bit, she thought that Haku actually liked her back. She remembered the way he smiled, the way that he'd smile at her and at no one else. Then, she had to let him go. Obviously, she wanted to rescue her parents, but Chihiro always asked herself "What if…?" What if this, what if that…? She never told anyone of her experiences in the Spirit World. If anyone asked if she ever had a boyfriend, she'd reply simply with, "When I was 10." Even though that was a half lie, it made her feel a tad bit better. Chihiro's heart hurt whenever she thought of the last time she saw Haku. It was their good-bye. The sun was setting, and Chihiro's hand just slipped away from Haku's. As she promised, she didn't look back. But what if she had…?

"Chihiro!" Chihiro's friend, Hana, said. "What?" Chihiro replied. She was at another friend's house (Yuki) for a sleepover. Hana smiled. "Come back to Earth. We're playing truth or dare." Chihiro god up and sat between Hana and Yuki. 5 years after leaving the Bathhouse, Chihiro hadn't changed a whole lot. Her dark brown hair was just a little bit longer, but she always wore it in the same ponytail with the magical purple hair tie that Zeniba had made for her. She had grown a little bit taller, though she'd be lucky to reach 5'2 when she was an adult. She was still skinny and, well, as Lin once called her, she was "puny." There were two other girls along with that trio, Misa and Akira. Chihiro was still a bit dazed, thinking of Haku, Lin, Kamajii, Bôh, Zeniba, the Soot Sprites…She even missed Yubaba (though Chihiro never really knew why) Her _real_ friends. "Yuki, you chose!" Hana said, laughing. _Do not chose me…do not chose me…do not-_ "Chihiro!" _…chose me. Oh, Universe, you just __love__ proving me wrong, don't you?_ Chihiro thought as she sighed and said carelessly, "Truth." All the girls looked dumbfounded. "You _always_ chose dare! Always! I was going to make you ask that one Hiroshi hottie from bio out!" Yuki exclaimed, obviously disappointed. Chihiro cocked her head curiously. "Never mind. So, now that it's truth for the first time in forever, let's ask the traditional teenage girl question: Have you currently, or have you ever had a boyfriend?" _I should have known better than to choose truth…what was I thinking? Oh…_ Chihiro smiled to herself when she remember what she was thinking about. "Yeah," Chihiro said after a minute, "When I was 10." "Awwwwwwwwwwww!" All the girls cooed. "Was he handsome?" "Hold old was he?" "Why didn't it work out?" were just a few of the questions that were bombarded at her. _Of course he was handsome, he was adorable! I'm not really sure how old he was, since spirits never age. I'd say about 11 or 12. And, well, humans and spirits can't exactly be together like that; it just wouldn't work out…_ was what Chihiro _wanted_ to say. Instead, she restrained herself and merely replied, "Yeah, he was cute. I think he said that he was 12. Maybe 13? And well, I, uh, had to movie. This was right before I moved here…" Chihiro bit her lip and looked down. "What did he look like? What was his name?" Akira asked, smiling. "His name was Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi. We all just called him Haku, though…" Chihiro replied quietly, as she felt a lump in her throat begin to form. "What a name…" Misa mumbled. All the girls laughed, except for Chihiro. She went to her bag and pulled out one of the many pictures of Haku she had drawn. She smiled weakly as she examined it. His shoulder length raven-black hair with the green tint, his emerald green eyes… She could almost see the river within his soul. "Hey Chihiro! Mind coming back to reality to show us your dream boy?" Hana giggled. Chihiro sighed and passed the picture around. The girls examined him. Chihiro stood there, remembering all the good times with him. Then, out of the blue, Misa said, "He looks like a girl!" Chihiro's eyes darted towards Misa. She narrowed them. _How dare she insult __my__ river spirit?_ Chihiro thought angrily. "I'm sorry, Chi, but look at his clothes. He looks like"- But Misa didn't continue after seeing Chihiro's eyes, and the nervous glances from the other girls. "Oh no…No, no, Chi, I didn't-" Chihiro held up her hand, took the picture back (quite carefully), and said, "You know, Misa, if it weren't for that 'girl', as you would say, I wouldn't be here. He saved my life." And Chihiro left the room without another word. Once her friends thought that Chihiro was out of earshot, Hana said in a scolding voice, "Why would you say something like that?" "I wasn't trying to be mean, I was saying the truth and-" "-Still. You saw how she reacted, she really liked him…" "Yeah, and personally, I thought he was actually kinda cute." "Yuki!" "I was just saying…" Chihiro sat in a corner and stared at the picture of Haku. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she said, "You promised we'd see each other again, Kohaku." "It's been 5 years. Did you forget about me?" A minute later, she whispered, "I need you…"


	2. Haku's return Reality or dream?

Chihiro left Yuki's house that next morning. She was still a little mad at Misa for what she had said last night, but she realized that Misa was just too… Well, too _human_ to realize how important Haku was. During the rest of the day, Chihiro spent time with her mother, since it was her birthday. They (plus Chihiro's father) had a homemade breakfast, went to a movie, and got ice-cream in the evening. At the ice-cream shop, Chihiro daydreamed about Haku and her time with him while licking her raspberry chocolate chip delight. These past few days, Haku had been coming to her mind more and more frequently; even more than usual. Chihiro didn't know if this was a sign of some sort, but she liked remembering him. When the family returned home around 7:00, Mrs. Ogino treated herself to a warm bath and going to bed early. Chihiro took advantage of that by saying, "Mother, I'm going to the hill." The Ogino family lived on a hill, and the back of it was a perfect place for watching the sunset. "Alright, Chihiro, but be back by 9," her mother replied behind her bathroom door. "Okay." Chihiro walked out the backdoor and gently closed it. The sun was just getting ready to set. The view was breathtaking. There was a gentle breeze that balanced out the hot summer night. A little creek ran at the bottom of the hill. The teal blue water glistened in the light and flew gently, reminding her of Haku. Chihiro lay down in the grass and took a big whiff of the air. It smelled of flowers and clean water. _Maybe I'll just nap for a few minutes_ Chihiro thought as she closed her eyes.

"Chihiro," a voice called from the distance. Chihiro's eyes opened slightly. It was almost dark. "Chihiro," it said again. The voice sounded so familiar. "Chihiro," it called once again. Chihiro took a big breath. _You're imagining things_ she said to herself, sitting up a little. She looked around, though, just to make sure. She thought about the voice that called her name. It was a male's' a baritone, mature voice. Hiroshi? Kai? Shin? Then, Chihiro felt something. Not physical, but a presence. _This is strange_ she thought, looking around cautiously. She looked around again, and almost fell over at the sight she saw. _It couldn't be…_ Chihiro though airily. Sitting near the creek was a boy- chin length black hair, and familiar deep green eyes that were…closed? "Haku…" Chihiro breathed.

Chihiro rubbed her eyes, pinched herself, and tried to sleep to prove that she wasn't dreaming. She got up and quickly, but quietly, ran to her long lost friend. He was sitting with his head between his knees, his arms acting as a pillow. His bangs were swept across his face so delicately. _He looks so innocent and sweet; not like how he was in the Spirit World_ Chihiro thought.

Nighihayami Kohaku Nushi, Great Dragon and Spirit of the Kohaku River.

Thank the spirits he had people just call him 'Haku.'

_Well, well, well, Haku, you finally found your way back. After five years, you finally came…_ Chihiro thought as she stroked his pale cheek. _Not a lot has changed, Haku. But, you're a spirit, so you wouldn't change, even if you wanted to…_ "Hmm?" Haku mumbled, starting to wake up. Chihiro jumped in surprise, and sat back behind Haku. He lifted his head and rubbed his eyes. Chihiro gently put her hands on his sides. He jumped nearly a foot in the air, which caused Chihiro to let out a little giggle. Haku suddenly disappeared. "Huh?" Chihiro mumbled quietly, looking around. Suddenly, someone put their arms around her waist. Chihiro let out a little squeak of terror, and looked around. A pair of playful green eyes looked back into Chihiro's chocolate brown ones. "You know, Chihiro, you didn't _really_ expect to be able to sneak up on a spirit and get away with it, now did you?" Haku asked, smiling. "I guess I figured it out a second ago," Chihiro replied casually. "Isn't that an understatement?" Haku said, a grin wiped across his face. Chihiro smiled too, and after a few seconds, they both began to laugh their heads off. Chihiro's laughter soon turned to sobs, however. Haku didn't say anything. He put his arm around her shoulders and let her cry. He expected her to scold him for not coming to get her, to see her, to notice her, in five years. The scolding never came, though, and after a few minutes, Chihiro settled down. She wiped her eyes and smiled weakly. "You probably think I'm a big baby right now…" she mumbled. "No, not really. I don't think you're quite as bad as Bôh," Haku replied simply, smiling. Chihiro laughed softly, understanding the reference.

Minutes of silence passed before they both heard Chihiro's mother call, "Chihiro!" Chihiro looked longingly at Haku. "Don't worry," he said gently. "No. I'm not leaving you again," Chihiro said, holding his arm. "Chihiro, just calm down, okay? Just listen. You'll see me soon." Haku smiled. "What's soon? Another five years? Two years? One?" Chihiro replied sarcastically. "How does tomorrow sound?" "What? How?" Chihiro cried. Haku laughed. "Let's just say that you'll be getting a new student in your class tomorrow." Chihiro beamed at Haku. "Don't worry, Little One. I won't be gone for long. Just wait," he said quietly. Chihiro let go of Haku's arm. "Okay, Haku. But you'd better not be lying to me, you hear me Haku?" she called as he walked towards the creek. He looked back at her and grinned. "Trust me," he said, and he disappeared again, leaving Chihiro with a whole ocean of emotions in her heart…


	3. The big day

Chihiro could barely wait for school the next day. Her mother asked her who she was talking to outside, and Chihiro said, "Oh, I was just talking to the creek…" Boy, was that an understatement. When Chihiro woke up that next morning (after having a particularly good dream), she practically ran down the stairs and wolfed down her bacon. Her mother warned, "Chihiro, don't eat so much bacon at one time; you'll turn yourself into a pig." _Oh, if only you knew_ Chihiro thought to herself as she merely replied, "Okay Mom." She ran upstairs and got ready. The school that she attended required a uniform, but accessories were allowed. It was a black pleaded skirt with a white top and black suit-like jacket. Black shoes with white socks of any length. It was the seemingly typical Japanese anime schoolgirl uniform. Chihiro always wore the purple hair tie that she loved and treasured so much. It had more powers than even Zeniba had told her. If it got lost, broken, stolen, eaten, or anything else possible, it would always come back to Chihiro as good as new. She learned that when the most popular girl, Emiko Sato, stole it and broke it. Chihiro bawled that night over the loss of her precious hair tie, but that morning, it was sitting on her bedside table, as good as new.

Chihiro didn't wear much makeup, either. She simply didn't see the need to. She didn't really care for the guys at her school, and she thought that she looked okay without it. Besides- it was a waste of money and it didn't last long anyway. However, because this was such a special day, she wore some eyeliner and mascara. (Both gifts from her friends) They were both unopened. Chihiro looked at her final outcome and smiled. She didn't overdo the makeup because she didn't want to look like a raccoon. She only wanted to look nice. Her all-over tiny body didn't appeal to many guys, who drooled over Emiko Sato's curves and looks. Chihiro was 5'0 and weighed almost 100 pounds. Teachers, friends, and even some creepy strangers use to ask if she was anorexic. Of course not. It was just her natural body. (Though, ever since her experience in the Spirit World, she has become a little more sensitive to meat…)

"Chihiro! Hurry up! You're almost going to be late!" Mrs. Ogino called up to her daughter. "I'm coming!" Chihiro called back, grabbing her bag and running down the stairs. Her mother smiled, then looked at Chihiro, and said, "Anything special going on at school today? I haven't seen you wear makeup since Christmas last year!" _Well, my best friend and the boy whom I think I love is finally coming back. So, I want to look good when I meet him again…_ is what Chihiro wanted to reply. Instead, she just said, "No, not really. I just wanted a change today." In the car on the way to the school, Chihiro stared dreamily out the window. _Haku is returning. I can't believe it. After five years, he's finally returned. He probably expected me to yell at him about that fact, but I won't. Though I'm tempted to, he's my best friend and he saved me and my parents. I should be grateful…_ "Chihiro, we're here." The car was pulled into the high school parking lot. Chihiro's heart was already pounding as she said, "Bye, Mother!" "Have fun at school!" she replied. Chihiro closed the car door and walked towards the school. Chihiro was kind of invisible. She wasn't super pretty, super rich, or super anything. Her skinny body was envied by many girls, but they wouldn't admit it. Who would want to be jealous of normal Chihiro Ogino? She didn't mind, however. She knew that Haku would accept her for who she was. He accepted her as a human in the Spirit World, so why would this be any different?

Chihiro ran to her homeroom teacher's room (Mrs. Nakimura) "My, my, Chihiro, you look happier than I've seen you in weeks! What's going on?" she asked as Chihiro set her bag down. "Mrs. Nakimura, are we getting a new student today?" Chihiro asked excitedly. "Yes, we are. How did you know?" Mrs. Nakimura asked, looking confused. "He's a good friend of mine. We've known each other for a while now," Chihiro replied. "Well, I'm very excited," her teacher said, smiling. "Mrs. Nakimura, could he possibly sit next to me? He's really shy around new people, and I can help him around," Chihiro asked sweetly. "I don't see why not! I was originally going to have someone else do it, but since you know him, we can change things up," the teacher replied, grinning. "Oh, thank you very much!"

About fifteen minutes later, everyone had piled into the classroom. Haku hadn't shown up yet. Chihiro wasn't worried, though. She knew he would come. Suddenly, as if the universe was reading her mind, Mrs. Nakimura announced, "I have some good and exciting news to announce. We will be getting a new student this morning. He hasn't arrived yet, but please welcome him when he does!" The class started talking amongst themselves. Emiko, after hearing that it was a boy, made herself look nicer. She looked at Chihiro, smirked, and put on some lipstick. For once in her life, Chihiro wasn't worried about Emiko. She actually thought that Emiko should be worried of Chihiro. She would merely tell Haku not to talk to Emiko at all, and resist her temptations. Abruptly, there was a knock at the door. The whole homeroom became silent in anticipation. The secretary popped her head in the door. The class groaned. "Excuse me, Mrs. Nakimura? Are you the class expecting a new student?" Mrs. Nakimura nodded, and then someone else entered the room. Chihiro held her breath as she watched her best friend walk in.

Haku looked better than last night. His black hair still had a greenish tint to it. His eyes were bright, yet fierce, and not droopy and tired. He wasn't wearing his traditional Japanese clothes, but he still looked handsome in his school uniform. Chihiro saw all the girls follow his gaze. He was obviously nervous, and looked at the ground. "Young man, can you tell us a little about yourself?" Mrs. Nakimura asked politely. Haku sighed. _Come on, Dragon Boy…_ Chihiro thought. And as if he could read Chihiro's mind, he looked up and said, "My name is Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi. Please, just call me Haku…"


	4. The New Guy?

Chihiro smiled to herself. She looked at Haku, who was scanning the classroom. His eyes met Chihiro's, and he grinned. "Mrs. Nakimura, if you don't mind, I volunteer myself to help Ko- sory, _Haku_, around the school," Emiko Sato said smugly. She looked at Chihiro and smiled sweetly. But Mrs. Nakimura said, "I'm sorry, Emiko, but I've already appointed someone. Chihiro, will you raise your hand?" Haku's eyes brightened as he said, "Chihiro?" "Haku. May I see your schedule? Thanks, Mrs. Nakimura!" Chihiro said as she left the classroom with her best friend, feeling all the burning glares of jealous girls. Once the door closed, Chihiro flung her arms around Haku. He was a little startled at first, but then hugged back. "I can't believe you pulled it off!" she said, grinning. Haku shrugged. "I have my ways," he replied casually, laughing. "So, what's your schedule?" Chihiro asked, grabbing the paper again. She scanned it carefully:

**Homeroom: S. Nakimura**

**Biology I: H. Takahashi**

**Geometry: K. Ueno**

**Lunch: /**

**Japanese (enr.): T. Ishiyama**

**English II: Y. Yamaguchi**

**Gym: A. Iguchi**

**World History: S. Yamamoto**

Chihiro looked at Haku, who was smiling. "You're joking," she said, trying to stay calm. "No, not really, I-" "-Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi, you are a _genius_!" Chihiro said, handing the paper back to her friend. "You just realized that?" Haku replied, laughing. Chihiro grinned happily. "I have a question, though," Haku said as they began walking around his schedule. "Why haven't you yelled at me yet? I thought you would have been mad at me for taking five years. Why?" It took a minute for Chihiro to think of a reasonable answer. "Because, Haku," she started, "You don't _really_ deserve to be yelled at. Am I annoyed a little? Yes. Was I sad? You betcha. But you saved me and my parents, and I still remain so grateful. And besides…" Chihiro paused for a few seconds before saying, "I know what a jerk Yubaba is." Haku nodded, obviously understanding and accepting everything Chihiro had said. "So," Chihiro said in a chipper voice, "This is your, well, _our_ biology class with Hiroki Takahashi." They stopped in front of the classroom. "What's biology?" Haku asked curiously. "Oh, Haku, so much you have to learn… biology is life science. You study a little about the human body, lots about nature things, and, well, life. The prefix 'bio' means 'life', and the suffix 'ology' means 'the study of', so biology is 'the study of life.'" "Ooh, sounds fun. I love nature," Haku said, sounding excited.

Chihiro showed Haku around the rest of their classes. She had to explain each one. "Okay, let me recollect the information of all the classes. Biology is the study of life. Geometry is the study of shapes. Japanese is our native language. English is a foreign language. Gym is exercise class, and history is, well, history." "Yes! You're getting more and more knowledgeable about the human world!" Haku beamed.

Homeroom hadn't ended by the time Haku and Chihiro returned. Mrs. Nakimura asked some more questions. "So, tell me, Haku. Who are your parents?" Chihiro saw Haku tense up a bit. She understood why- he didn't even know. "Um, my mother's name is Yubaba. And my Dad's name is, uh, Kamajii." Chihiro stifled a laugh as Haku looked around nervously. No one seemed to notice, though. "Do you have any brothers or sisters?" _Do __not__ say Bôh, do __not__ say Bôh…_ Chihiro thought desperately. "I'm an only child," was Haku's smart reply. Chihiro sighed to herself. _1 point for Haku_ Haku walked back to his seat next to Chihiro. He lightly punched her shoulder when she burst out laughing. "Yubaba and Kamajii? I nearly broke a rib trying not to laugh!" she said. "I didn't know how to answer!" Haku mumbled. "It's fine. Yubaba and Kamajii. Yubaba and Kamajii…" Then, Haku and Chihiro looked at each other, and they knew that they had thought of the same thing. "Eww…" they said in unison. Then, they laughed together. "I've forgotten how much I really miss you," Chihiro said quietly to herself. "Pardon?" Haku said. "Oh, what? Nothing…" Chihiro replied. There was a pause. Then, Haku said, "When's lunch?" "4th period, why?" Chihiro replied as they got ready for biology. "Let's just say that I have a lot of explaining to do. Much has happened in the past five years…"

Biology and geometry seemed to last a lifetime. Haku had a hard time understanding science that didn't relate to Earth's nature. "I don't get it. Why do we have to learn about such useless things? I don't need to know about the parts of the sun- it's not like I'm ever going to live there…" he grumbled. Then, after geometry, he complained some more. "I don't understanding this at all. Who cares about the length of the, oh what was it called, the hypotuse?" Chihiro had to smile. "The _hypotenuse_? But, I do agree. I don't get why we have to learn half the stuff we do here," she replied. The two walked to the cafeteria. "This," she started, "is the madhouse. I usually eat here, but we can sit outside." Haku seemed to like that idea. "Do you have lunch?" Chihiro asked Haku as they opened the back door. "Yeah, I brought something just in case," he replied, looking up at the clear blue sky and bright yellow sun. they sat under a shady tree by the school. Haku unpacked his lunch, which consisted of a few rice cakes (the same ones that he had given to her five years back…), some fruit, and an empty bottle of water. Haku smirked and said, "Where's a source of water?" "Well, there's a water fountain over by the school, see it?" Chihiro replied, pointing to the fountain. Haku shook his head and filled it up via magic. Chihiro stared at Haku. "What? Am I not allowed to do some simple magic?" he whined. :Haku… That was _unbelievably_ lazy. The fountain was 50 feet, if not less, from here!" she replied. "Oh, hush. I just realized that I didn't really want to get up. Besides- you humans work too hard," Haku snapped back casually. "Ooh, you've developed some serious attitude, Mister. You may be a spirit and…and a river god… and…" Chihiro dwindled off due to Haku's standing up. "I'll just shut up now…" she mumbled. Haku grinned. "Nah, I was just stretching," he replied, walking around. Since when did Haku get up, just to stretch? Just when he complained about _not_ wanting to get up? Chihiro didn't realize this quickly enough, for Haku quickly kneeled behind her and put his arms around her waist. She laughed as he said, "Don't question my authority." Chihiro laughed as she said, "Of course not, oh might Dragon River Spirit Human Thing!" Haku loosened his grip a little, obviously pleased with her reply (even though he didn't notice the hinted sarcasm) Haku then began explaining everything. "After you left, I quit being Yubaba's apprentice. The whole bathhouse was sad after you left; they still miss you. Yubaba got extremely stressed out and decided to take an extremely long-term vacation. She hasn't returned since." "But that was years ago. How do you know…" Chihiro trailed off. Haku knew what she was thinking. "Oh, she's still alive. Every now and then, she'll write Zeniba a letter. That's where she dropped off Bôh, and she wants to know how he's doing. Her messages are usually quick and snappy"- "-Like your old attitude…" Chihiro mumbled. "Sorry, what was that?" Haku said gently. "Oh, nothing, continue," Chihiro replied in a normal voice. "Well, they're still letters. So…If Yubaba is gone on break and Zeniba is taking care of Bôh, who's in charge?" Chihiro asked. Haku grinned. A few seconds passed and she then understood. "Oh my gods, Haku!" she said, getting loose of his grip and turning around to hug him. They fell to the ground, due to their momentum. Haku laughed. "And Lin's my apprentice. She's been helping me a lot lately." "Oh, I'm _so_ happy for you!" Chihiro exclaimed. A long pause followed. Chihiro got up and they sat again. Then, Chihiro asked quietly, "How did you get to the Human world?" Haku sighed. "I should save _that_ story for another day. It's complicated," he replied in the same hushed tone of voice. Chihiro sighed sadly, but didn't persist. Instead, she asked, "So how are Lin, Kamajii, and Bôh? No-Face? Granny Zeniba?" "Slow down, Little One," Haku said, covering Chihiro's mouth with his hand. Chihiro shut up. "Now, one at a time. Granny Zeniba is doing very well. I've visited her a few times since you left. She really misses you. I don't really know what NO-Face has to personally say, but when Granny asked if he missed you, he said "ahh ahh", which she assumed to be a 'yes'." Chihiro sighed. "I feel so bad…" she said quietly. "Don't worry, Chihiro. You did the right thing," Haku tried to soothe her. "No I didn't, Haku. My home was there. I like her and all, but I just… feel like I belong with you guys." A pause. Then, the warning bell rang. "C'mon Haku. Japanese awaits us," Chihiro said, getting up. Haku held up his hands, as if expecting her to help him. Reluctantly, she did, while mumbling, "Once again, unbelievable laziness." Haku smiled sweetly as he followed Chihiro back to the building.


	5. Hot Sauce, Rhyming, and Fluff!

**Hey there! I'd like to thank everyone for the reviews so far. There are only 8, but it's a good start. To reply to everyone would take too long, but I thank you all! Updating will be a tad harder to do, but I'll try at least 3-4 times a week. And no worries- fluff galore will definitely be coming up soon ;)**

**Oh, and I guess I have to add a disclaimer… So, the usual, I don't own Spirited Away or any of the characters from it- I only own my own characters and my plot. Happy?**

"YEOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWW!" Chihiro heard Haku cry out from the kitchen. Then, she heard the sound of glass breaking. She sighed as she threw her school bag on her bed. _5 minutes at home and Haku's already screaming bloody murder. I knew I shouldn't have left him down there by himself_… Chihiro thought to herself as she fast walked to the kitchen. The two were done with Haku's first day of school, and they had walked back to Chihiro's house, since her parents didn't get home until late.

"Haku, what happened?"

She walked in to see Haku with tears streaming down his bright red face. Then, she noticed the pile of broken glass on the ground with a green liquid all around it. "Haku, what did you do?" Chihiro asked him curiously. She was actually kind of worried. Haku closed his eyes tightly. "Hot… So hot…" he whispered as more tears streamed down his face. Chihiro walked to the pile of broken glass and found the label.

"**Green Habanero Hot Sauce"**

Chihiro face palmed herself as she walked to the cupboards to get a glass out. "Haku," she said, filling the glass with water, "What you just ate is something we humans call _hot sauce_. It's spicy, it burns, and, as you figured out the hard way, it's hot…" Haku took the glass gratefully and drank. Chihiro couldn't help but smile at Haku's mistake. "Thank you, Chihiro…" he said, taking a deep breath. "You know, you really should have asked me what you were eating. It could have saved you some pain and the loss of taste for a few hours," Chihiro said, picking up a dust pan to clean up the mess.

"No, wait."

Haku went over to the glass and hot sauce mess, and used magic to clean it all up.

"Oh, well, thank you, Haku!"

"Really? I was expecting you to say 'unbelievable laziness' like you usually do when I use magic."

"Haha, well aren't you funny?"

"I would say I'm absolutely hilarious."

Chihiro became extremely aggravated at Haku's cheek. "Ooh, you are _really_ asking for it, Mister…" she said irritatingly, turning away from him. _If he says one more sassy remark…_

"I don't recollect asking for anything at all, actually."

"That's it, you're going down!"

Chihiro turned and began chasing Haku throughout the whole house. He laughed, which, to Chihiro's dismay, caused her to laugh too. He looked back, grinned, and said, "You know, you're not going to win." Chihiro managed to chase him out of the house; though after a few minutes outside, she realized was a big mistake. He had disappeared in thin air and was nowhere to be seen nor heard.

"Oh yeah, Haku, you're cool. Just use your magical spirit powers against my nonexistent human powers, why don't you?"

Chihiro groaned as she fell onto the grass. She had changed into black shorts and a white t-shirt with a light blue dragon on it. She sighed and looked up at the sky. The sun was bright and there were lots of fluffy clouds whose list of interpretations was endless.

"I think that that one looks like Yubaba's giant nose."

Chihiro jumped in surprise, but then laughed out loud as she looked over. Haku was lying next to her, beaming at her giggles.

"That one right there kind of looks like a soot sprite," Chihiro said, pointing to a round cloud. Haku nodded in agreement.

"You see that one there? The one next to it looks like No-Face!" Haku exclaimed, pointing to an upside down triangular shaped cloud. "It does!" Chihiro said. "And," she said, smiling, "The on above it looks like you."

"Excuse me?" Haku said defensively, sitting up.

Chihiro giggled and sat up too. "The blob above the one that looks like No-Face, see?"

"Oh really?" Haku challenged, a fierce glint shining across his emerald eyes.

"Yeah, don't you see? There's your hair and your arms and your puffy pants and-ahh!"

Chihiro never got to finish her description, for Haku tackled her to the ground and began tickling the life out of her.

"HAKU!" Chihiro whined as she struggled to get away. Haku merely grinned as he continued his attack. Then, an idea came to Chihiro's head.

"ABUSE!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.

"Wait, what?"

Haku stopped immediately.

"Not so brave when you're put on the spot, eh?" Chihiro smirked.

She was on her knees, very pleased with herself. She scooted a few feet away from him. Haku rolled his eyes as Chihiro boasted,

"I actually out-smarted you, Haku! I out-smarted a spirit!"

"Oh really? Not so brave when you can't move though, eh?" Haku replied, sending Chihiro the same smirk she gave him a few seconds ago. He inched himself closer to her again.

"Huh?

Then, Chihiro understood. He had used magic to bind her legs together and knees to the ground, just like five years ago, when she first arrived in the Spirit World. Her arms were forced to her sides; she was powerless. She was sitting between Haku's knees.

"Why you little-"

"Haku: TWO, Chihiro: ZERO. I can brag _and_ rhyme at the same time…These magical spirit powers really _do_ come in handy sometimes!" Haku taunted.

"Haku, I will _kill_ you once this spell wares off," Chihiro said through gritted teeth.

Haku sat right next to Chihiro.

"Chihiro, spirits can't die. You're a smart girl, you should know that."

"Durrr duh derrrrrrr," Chihiro mocked, rolling her eyes.

"And besides," he added, putting his arms around her and putting his face really close to hers, "Why would you kill the boy you _like_?"

Chihiro's face went pale, then red as her eyes widened.

"What did you say?"

Haku looked serious now, looking back at Chihiro.

"A girl in our biology class gave me this after class. Smiled and told me that I should read it…"

Haku pulled a crumpled piece of paper out of his jacket pocket and showed it to Chihiro.

Chihiro mentally smacked herself when she saw the note. Haku had read it, and he knew everything.

Oh damn.

* * *

><p>(The note)<p>

So is this the famous Haku you keep talking about?

Yeah, it is… I guess it's just a coincidence…

I'll say… You know, Chi, I'm sorry I laughed at your pictures the other day. He's soooo much cuter in real life!

He's matured a lot since I last saw him.

I didn't know him back in the days, but all I can say is that those abs are _sexy_.

Misa…

Sorry Chi…Alright, since you obviously don't like his beautiful muscles, what do you like?

I love his eyes… They're beautiful- the first time I saw him, I noticed his eyes. They're so fierce, but at the same time, so gentle and warm…

Hehe, you'll probably have better luck with him. You're definitely a whole lot more romantic than I. I'm just a fan-girl of hot guys!

You would…maybe… Haku's hard to get along with at first, though…

What do you mean? He seems really nice!

It's hard to explain.

Well, you still seem dazzled by him. And I saw you two walking together. You were laughing and talking… It was actually really cute**-** I almost cried.

Oh, Misa…

You seem like really close friends…you like him…why not ask him out?

Misa, he's one of my best friends. It'd just make things awkward.

But…you're like, in love with each other.

I wouldn't go that far. I like him a lot, yeah, but I wouldn't say 'love' yet. And he doesn't love me. We're just friends.

You are such a loser! I don't know him and I can tell he's into you!

Well, I guess this is where the saying "love is blind" would come in handy…

Whatever Chi… Uh-oh, Takahashi's coming! We'll talk later…Good luck with your macho-man ;)

(end note)

* * *

><p>And Misa <em>gave<em> him the note. She was in for some grief tomorrow. Chihiro was filled with confusion, anger, sorry, angst, betrayal… basically every kind of negative emotion.

"Chihiro?"

Chihiro barely looked over at Haku, whose emerald eyes seemed to bore themselves right into her heart.

"I can explain…" Chihiro mumbled, her face still beet-red.

"There's no need to," Haku replied softly.

"What?" Chihiro replied in a weak voice.

Haku's next action told her why. He unbound her legs and arms with magic. Chihiro sighed in relief and flapped her arms around like a bird. However, Haku pulled her close to him and whispered in her ear,

"You're beautiful, Little One."

And then he gently placed his lips on her cheek. Chihiro blushed even more. At that, she could feel Haku smile.

A few seconds later, he leaned back. Chihiro burst into a fit of giggles that really illustrated her girly side.

"Well, well, I can see _that_ softened your mood!" Haku teased, smiling.

"Oh, shut up, you…" Chihiro snapped. But her laughing didn't make her command _nearly_ as assertive.

Haku merely laughed at that.

"What are you laughing at?" Chihiro asked, beginning to calm down.

"Sorry, Chihiro, but I was laughing at you. Not in a mean way, just the fact that you were laughing at my actions… it was quite cute, actually; it made me chuckle."

Chihiro wanted to retaliate with a comeback, but she was in too much of a good mood to bother. Then, some thoughts came to her head.

_Whoop-dee-doo! He likes you!_

_Who are you?_

_Me? I'm the Nagging Pessimist Voice in your head. Nice to meet you._

_What do you want? Can't you notice I'm in a good mood?_

_Because Haku kissed you? C'mon, Chihiro. He called you beautiful and kissed _your cheek_. He didn't say he loved you or anything, and didn't even kiss your mouth._

_So? It's still affection! He must feel something!_

_It's something, but it's probably not love. He's a sixteen-year old boy; hormones are flying around like crazy. Don't get too excited._

_Whatever, I'm blocking you out._

_Alright, Chihiro, but when something goes wrong, don't tell me I didn't tell you so._

_How can I tell myself 'I told you so?'_

'_I told you so.'_

_Shut up._

_Fine._

"Chihiro?" Haku's distant voice said.

"Huh?" she replied stupidly. Haku smiled.

"It looked like you were going to war with yourself. Anything on your mind?"

Chihiro thought about the little argument that she just had with The Nagging Pessimist Voice.

"Nah, guess I'm just a little out of it."

"Long day?"

"You could say that."

Chihiro and Haku looked at each other. After Haku's display of affection, she finally did notice how beautiful/handsome he really was. And, though she'd never admit this to Misa, he _did_ have good abs.

"Do you have anywhere to stay?" she blurted out without warning.

"Curse you, Nagging Pessimist Voice…" she mumbled to herself angrily.

_Hehe…_

"I guess…" Haku replied awkwardly, putting an arm behind his head. He smiled weakly. Chihiro gave him a 'don't-you-lie-to-me-because-you-know-I'll-just-figure-it-out-sooner-or-later-anyway' look.

"Ehh, no actually… Not really. I've just been merging myself with this little creek right over there. It's quite nice, actually…"

"I could ask my parents if you could stay with us," Chihiro blurted out again.

_Why must you do this to me? Giant piece of poop…_

_I want to prove you wrong. By the way- you basically called yourself a giant piece of poop._

Chihiro decided to ignore the Nagging Pessimist Voice inside her head as Haku said,

"That'd be nice, thanks, but I won't be mad if they say no. Besides- how do you explain why you want to keep a sixteen year old boy in your house without them getting suspicious?" Haku replied, smiling.

"Touché, touché…" Chihiro replied as they began walking back to the house.

Then, out of the blue, Haku said, "Nagging Pessimist Voice?"

Chihiro fell over laughing.


	6. Breaking the News

**Hello again! So I've been thinking about the future of my story and some of the stories I've been reading… I've seen Yubaba, Chihiro's parents, and outside, made-up characters turn into the antagonist. I love reading about them and all, but I've decided to make a very familiar character turn bad. I hope you like this suspense I'm putting you in! Also, the ratings may gradually go from 'K' and 'K+' to T. I don't think I'll have any 'M' rated chapters, but you never know. Again, thanks for the reviews; they really give me motivation to write more. And, once again, I don't own Spirited Away- only **_**my**_** characters and **_**my**_** plotline…**

**So, some upcoming events in the next few chapters: A familiar character suddenly turning bad, some rough news from Haku, a painful decision, and, well, some childhood memories…**

**Sorry, but P.S. I'm not really good at writing good fluff. I'm hoping it'll get better, but for now, just deal with it. This is my first fanfic, so… I'm done.**

Chihiro waited anxiously for her parents to return home. She was a little nervous about presenting Haku to them on such short notice, but they were pretty lenient. For the next few hours, Chihiro told Haku all about the human world- clothing, cooking, electronics, politics, economics, pop-culture, music… Everything she could think of and he wanted to know. However, when the clock struck 8 o'clock, she began getting a little worried. She continuously looked out the window, hoping to see headlights.

"You look concerned," Haku said in a calm voice as they sat on the family's couch.

"Yeah, I am. My parents aren't home yet. They work late, but never _this_ late..." Chihiro replied in a confused voice.

"Maybe they left a note somewhere that you didn't look," Haku suggested, shrugging.

"Yeah, maybe they did. Help me look for one, will you please?"

"Of course."

Chihiro searched all over the house for some note or message informing Chihiro of their unexcused absence.

"Chihiro, I found something!" Chihiro heard Haku yell from her parents' room. She darted up the stairs, two at a time, and ran to the room. There was a note on the door:

_Chihiro,_

_We are sorry for the inconvenience of this, but we had to leave for Tokyo right away. We were called in for a big murder case of a small girl. We don't know all the details, but we will be gone a few weeks. I have contacted Yuki's family, and they agreed to have you with them while we are gone. They are expecting you tonight. Stay safe and behave yourself. Don't blow up the house._

_We love you,_

_Mum and Dad_

She handed the letter to Haku, who scanned it. He then looked at Chihiro and said,

"What do they work as?"

"My parents are lawyers," Chihiro replied, "and that's why we moved here in the first place. There weren't enough cases happening in our old town, so we moved here, where there's a denser population."

"Right," Haku replied.

There was a pause before Haku said in an almost teary voice,

"Chihiro?"

"Hmm?" she replied worriedly, looking at Haku. He looked a bit crestfallen as he replied,

"We need to talk."

Chihiro called Yuki and told her that she was coming in a few hours. Yuki wanted to talk after that, but Chihiro insisted that she had to tend to important business before she came. Reluctantly, she agreed, and Chihiro could talk in peace with Haku. He made a fire in the fireplace (it was late fall, and was nights were getting quite chilly), and Chihiro made some hot chocolate. They sat on the sofa and shared a big, warm blanket.

"What did you want to talk to me about? Is it bad? You looked really worried," Chihiro started after a few minutes of silence. Haku took a sip of hot chocolate (which Chihiro learned he thoroughly enjoyed) and said,

"You could call it bad news. More for me than for you, but you're the reason it's bad, so…"

"Elaborate," Chihiro said, cocking her head a little.

"Well, I guess I have two stories to tell. How I got here has to do with a compromise I had made with Yubaba a couple of years back. You see, it took a few years to get Yubaba to change her mind about letting me leave. I wanted to visit the Human World, because I wanted to know how you live. She called me weak and a disgrace to the Spirit World. But she then thought and figured that I'd die in the Human World anyway, so she finally gave in. So, I went to Zeniba for help, since she is the only other Spirit powerful enough to get me there and actually help me survive."

"Wow that was really nice of her!" Chihiro piped in. Haku smiled weakly and continued.

"Zeniba willingly helped me, but she didn't believe my excuse. She thought there was another reason."

"_Was_ there a different reason?" Chihiro asked curiously.

"Of course, Chihiro," Haku replied, smiling and taking another drink of hot chocolate.

"Then what was it?" Chihiro asked, looking at Haku. He smiled and flicked her nose.

"Silly girl," he said, smiling, "To find you, of course."

"Ohhh… Hehe, I knew that!" Chihiro said, smiling.

"Oh really? And I'm a fluffy bunny, _anyway_"- he said 'anyway' louder, just to cut off Chihiro, who had her mouth open so say something.

"As I was saying, I told Zeniba my real excuse, and she agreed to help me. Under one condition, though. This is where the bad news comes in…" Haku said darkly.

_Uh-oh… _Chihiro thought as Haku took a deep breath. He then explained;

"I am only allowed to come back to the Human World one more time. Zeniba is worried that if I came back here too much, that I'd be influenced by your culture. And another thing…if you come back with me, you can never go back to the Human World. We both have to make life-long commitments…"

(Cue Joe Hisaishi's "The Sixth Station." I believe that this song fits the moment)

There was a lot going through Chihiro's mind after all of that.

_He came back for you…_

_Yes, but you heard the consequences. You must think long and hard about your decision…_

_I know, Nagging Pessimistic Voice… I just… we're in this situation because of me._

_You may just call me Naggy… and yes, he came back for you. Chihiro, you must think. Is your love for him greater than your love for your family? Your friends? Your life?_

_But, I loved the Bathhouse. Truly, I did. I loved Lin and Kamajii and Bôh and No-Face and Zeniba… Even Yubaba! Kinda… _

_And Haku?_

_Well, yes. But I have to choose! And Yuki is expecting me! I can't just leave Haku in the dirt!_

_He will wait his entire life if he has to. He will wait for you, and he will always be there._

_Really? And wait, aren't you suppose to say the negative things. I thought you were Pessimistic?_

_I am. I can also be realistic…Chihiro, you have time to think. Do not rush this. This is a life-changing decision. Once you go down one path, you can never go back…_

Chihiro put her head between her knees and sighed sadly.

"Chihiro, what's wrong?" Haku asked, putting an arm around her. Chihiro leaned into Haku a little as she said,

"This is all so quick- I don't know what to say. This is such a big decision; I don't want to make the wrong move. No matter what I chose, I'll be leaving a part of my life behind. If I stay with you, I'll be leaving behind my family and friends and human life. But if I stay with them, I'll leave the Bathhouse and Lin and Zeniba and…" Chihiro hiccupped,

"I'll be leaving you."

Haku smiled weakly. "Dear Chihiro," he said, "You may leave them behind, but you will never forget them. Like Zeniba said, 'once you meet someone, you never really forget them.'"

"It may take me a few days to decide, Haku."

"Take all the time you need, Little One. I'm in no rush to get back anyway."

Chihiro smiled for the first time in quite a few minutes.

"How did you get here anyway? Did you walk? Or did you fly?" Chihiro asked.

"During the day, I walked the streets. I managed to 'borrow' enough money from Yubaba to buy some human clothes."

"You little thief, Haku. I thought you had learned your lesson with Zeniba," Chihiro interrupted, winking at her friend.

Haku blushed.

"Oh, I learned my lesson, alright. That golden seal practically had my grave on it. Never mess with Zeniba," he mumbled, covering his face with the blanket.

"And what about that witch Yubaba?"

"Do you _really_ think that anyone gives a damn about what she says?"

Chihiro chuckled, and said, "I guess you're right."

"I'm always right," Haku sighed, leaning back and looking smug.

"In your dreams," Chihiro mumbled, drinking some hot chocolate.

"Excuse me, what was that?" Haku said, leaning in towards her face.

"Nothing, oh nothing," Chihiro replied sweetly as the phone rang.

"Hello?" she said as Haku rested his head on her shoulder.

"Hey Chi! Sorry I'm calling, I'm just asking how long you're staying for," Yuki replied.

"Oh, my mom said about five-eeeep!" Chihiro ended as Haku kissed her neck.

_Haku!_ She mouthed. Haku smiled.

"Sorry about that, saw a spider. A really _big_ spider," she added, for Haku rolled his eyes at her excuse.

Their conversation continued on for a few more minutes until she said, "Yuki, I gotta go for now. We'll talk when I get there, okay? Alright. Love ya, Yuki! Bye–bye…"

When Chihiro put the phone down, she punched Haku's arm playfully.

"Why would you do something like that while I'm on the phone?"

"You liked it."

"Whatever Haku."

"Alright, I win. I know I gave you a lot of information at once- I wanted you to have plenty of time to think about this," he replied in his now serious voice.

"Thank you Haku," Chihiro replied in a whisper. She returned Haku's actions by placing a light kiss on his cheek.


	7. Suspicious convo and Haku's mistake

**I'm back! From the surface of the sun! Just kidding. So, let's see what's happening. Right now, Chihiro is stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to choosing with whom she should go. She is currently at Yuki's house, and Haku is staying at Chihiro's house. The two still talk at school, and this chapter, Chihiro finally makes her decision. Also, now that the two know their little "love" for each other, there will be lots of fluff! (I've been requested to write more fluffy moments)**

**A special mention goes to "InkWoven". You've reviewed every chapter of mine so far. You're a trooper for bearing with me this whole journey. Thank you!**

**And, of course, thanks to all of my reviewers. You are the little Nagging (though not pessimistic) Voice inside of **_**my**_** head that keeps **_**me**_** going. (P.S. That's a compliment on my terms!)**

**And of course, I don't own S.A. I'm done now, so let's get cracking!**

"So this is your Dream Boy Haku you told us about earlier, eh?" was the first thing that Yuki said once she and Chihiro had some privacy in the depths of her room.

Chihiro had left about half an hour after Haku explained everything to her. She told Haku, that since her parents wouldn't be home, and she was at Yuki's house, he could stay at her place for a while.

"Yeah, it is. I wonder why his family moved here, of _all_ places," Chihiro replied, even though that was almost a complete lie.

"I don't know, Chi, but let me warn you; you'd better claim him as yours because I heard Emiko Sato is planning lots of evil against you to try and get Haku. She's obsessed," Yuki warned as they sat on her multi-colored bed.

"No worries, Yuki; he's all mine," Chihiro laughed. Yuki's eyes widened.

"You mean you got together already? After one day? Daaaaamn, Chihiro, you're getting more and more like Misa every day!" Yuki teased.

"Oh, hush. Our relationship started more when I first met him. We were really close back in the days," Chihiro said dreamily.

"Speaking of 'back in the days', where _did_ you meet him anyway?" Yuki asked casually, getting up to get something.

"Erm," Chihiro started, trying to think of a reasonable reply quickly, "He was my neighbor in my old city. He had a big house; his family is fairly wealthy. He spent a lot of time outside. One day, I was in the park and he asked if I wanted to play a game with him, since he had no one else. I agreed. So, that's how we met," Chihiro said.

_Ooh, nice one. I'd give you about an 8.5/10 on that one!_

"Aww, that's cute! I can just see that happening right now…"

A pause followed before Yuki said,

"Okay, Haku may be tall, but his name is bigger than he is! How do you say it?"

Chihiro giggled at Yuki's comment,

"Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi. Ni-gi-hai-yami Ko-ha-ku Nu-shi," Chihiro replied, saying Haku's full name quickly, then slower.

Yuki attempted to say his name a few times, but every single one ended up butchered and beaten.

"Eh, I think I'll just stick with 'Haku'," Yuki mumbled, shaking her head. Chihiro laughed.

"Listen, Chi, I'm hungry. I'm gonna get something for us to chow on. Anything in particular you want?" Yuki asked, getting up off her bed. Chihiro sat up.

"Got anything sweet?"

Yuki smiled, nodded, and left. Then, Naggy came back into Chihiro's head.

_Hmm…_

_*Sigh* Hello Naggy…_

_Good evening, Self. I just want to give you some advice for making your decision. Think- do you love Haku more than _?_

_Thanks…_

The rest of the night was fun. Tomorrow was a school-day, so Mrs. Ishiyama made the two girls go to bed fairly early. They merely whispered and giggled in Yuki's bed after "lights off!" was heard across the hall. (yes, they shared a bed) While whispering and giggling, Chihiro had to think about Haku a bit. Was he okay? What was he doing? Did he need anything?

_If only I could talk to him in my mind…_ Chihiro thought gloomily.

The next day at school, Chihiro remained practically_ glued_ to Hauk. He didn't seem to mind, however. Emiko, along with many other girls, gave her death glares in the hall. She didn't learn that Haku had given _them_ death glares back until lunch, when Haku practically announced himself as "off-limits." Though, Haku didn't know that she heard this… It all started at lunch.

(Haku POV, past)

Chihiro was in the cafeteria, buying her food, while Haku waited for her by the door. He was thinking about everything that had happened these past few days. Meeting back up with Chihiro, their decisions, her kissing him, his kissing _her_, and everything else in-between.

_How long will it take for Chihiro to make her decision? She said a few days, but knowing her indecisive little mind, it may take weeks…I don't mind a whole lot, but I can't wait __**forever**__…_

"Haku?" a female voice suddenly said.

Haku looked up to see Chihiro. Instead, he saw Emiko Sato, looking a bit down.

"Oh. Hello Emiko," Haku said in a fairly monotone voice.

"Listen," Emiko started, keeping her distance from Haku (which surprised him), "I want to talk for a minute. It won't take long, I promise."

"Okay," Haku replied, becoming a bit curious. _Something seems suspicious…_

"First of all, I never got to introduce myself. I'm Emiko Sato."

"I know. Chihiro told me."

"Right, Chihiro… Well then, she's probably told you about how much she hates me."

"No, actually. Not a whole lot. She just calls you conceited. And nasty. A lot," Haku replied, grimacing.

"Well, I know she does. And she has a reason to. I've realized that I've actually been a real bitch to her these past few years. And, well, I'm starting to feel bad about everything I've said and done that made her miserable." Emiko shrugged awkwardly.

_This is definitely fishy… something just isn't right about what she's saying…_

"Oh, well…I'm glad you feel that way. Chihiro's very shy and quiet in general. We met when we were ten, in her old city. It's hard to explain, but she saved my life twice. We have always been very close friends," Haku replied calmly, wondering later why he had told her that.

"So I'm guessing you're more than friends, right now. By the way you're acting…"

"I guess you could say that."

There was a long pause before Emiko painfully said,

"Congratulations."

"Oh- um, thanks Emiko!" Haku replied, extremely taken aback by her comment.

"I'm just wondering though," Emiko said, "What do you see in her?"

Haku didn't have to think twice about that.

"Well, of course, she's a cute girl. I think she's really pretty. We also have a very spiritual connection, though. It's just… we like the same things, have the same ideas, have the same interests. She also, as I said before, saved my life. But even before that…" Haku shrugged.

"I see… Well, Haku, like I said, it would only take a few minutes. Thanks for talking to me," Emiko said in a fairly flat voice.

"No problems," Haku replied quietly, as he began to walk to the tree.

"And," Emiko added. Haku turned.

"Tell Chihiro I'm sorry." Haku nodded and walked to the same tree he and Chihiro sat under yesterday.

_Well that was strange…_

(Chihiro POV, now)

"You're joking," Chihiro said after Haku told her the story. They were sitting under the tree in their usual spot for lunch.

"No. It was really strange. I think she's up to something," Haku replied, eating on of his famous rice cakes.

"Obviously. She's totally sucking up to you about me. She probably doesn't feel that way at all. She just wants to be by you," Chihiro said grimly, sighing.

"I don't know. She actually looked fairly sincere…" Haku mumbled.

""Humph. Well, just watch you back. She's sly and devious. Don't trust her."

"Hey, are you saying that you can't trust someone sly and devious?" Haku asked, grinning.

"My point exactly," Chihiro replied in a serious tone of voice,

"Oh. Well, sorry I'm _so_ repulsive and untrustworthy."

"Oh, zip it, Haku. You're such a drama queen, you know that?" Chihiro exclaimed, rolling her eyes.

"First of all, I think the correct term would be drama _king_, for I am a male. Second of all, I am not dramatic," Haku replied stiffly.

"Hmm… Not only a drama _king_, but you are also very stubborn and rude sometimes," Chihiro said casually,

"Oh really? Give me one time when I was rude to you," Haku snapped defensively. Chihiro sighed and got up. She stood very stiffly and said in a low voice,

"Don't talk to me. And only address me as Master Haku." Chihiro sat down, suddenly feeling a bit annoyed.

"Right," Haku said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head, "There's one."

A pause followed before Haku said,

"I can explain why I was such a jerk."

"Oh, do tell," Chihiro replied, still feeling quite annoyed for some reason.

"Well, Yubaba had a little glass orb. The whole bathhouse was hardwired so Yubaba could see anything at any time. I wish I could have been nicer, but if I had, she would have known that I let you in. So, to make it up, I took you to see your parents the next day. It wasn't much, but I knew that you wanted to know that they weren't baconized yet."

Chihiro had to smile at Haku's word choice.

"Baconized?" she giggled.

"Well, yeah. You know, turned into bacon?" Haku said, shrugging.

"Oh, I know what it means, Haku!" Chihiro laughed.

"That's _Master_ Haku to you!" Haku teased, though sounding serious.

"Oh no you didn't," Chihiro said sassily, looking at Haku with disbelief.

"Oh yes I did," Haku replied in the same tone of voice.

Chihiro burst out laughing, which caused Haku to blush.

"Wh-what's so funny?" Haku asked in a worried voice. Chihiro merely continued laughing. Haku just sat awkwardly for a few minutes before Chihiro calmed down again.

"I'm sorry, Haku, it's just the way you said that…it was so funny…I would have never expected from you…" Chihiro wiped her eyes, which had tears of laughter in them.

"Oh, Haku, you are the best," she said, leaning herself against her friend. Haku smiled proudly. He then put his arm around her. Chihiro felt his hand go towards her side,

"If you even _think_ about tickling me again, Haku, I'll knock your senses all the way back to the Spirit World," Chihiro hissed. Haku didn't look scared, though. He smiled.

"I wasn't thinking of tickling you, since I learned that you scream "abuse!" when anyone tries to touch you," Haku replied flatly.

"Oh, Haku, don't worry! That's only for you!" Chihiro said in a fake cheerful voice.

"Oh, I feel _so_ special," Haku grumbled sarcastically.

"Oh, cheer up, Master _Grumpy_. Get a sense of humor!" Chihiro said, giving Haku a pouty face.

"I have a sense of humor. But you always attack me and yell at me when I use it!" Haku replied desperately.

"That's not a sense of humor, Haku. That's sass. And Chihiro doesn't like dealing with sassy little river gods," Chihiro said, flashing her white teeth at Haku.

"Your smile may be radiant and beautiful, but that won't help you," Haku said in a quiet voice.

"Huh?" Chihiro said dumbly. Before she could do anything else, Haku scooped her up and laid her across his lap. He supported her back with his arm.

"What in the name of Yubaba's oversized nose are you doing?" Chihiro asked in an annoyed voice. Haku smiled at her comment.

"I'm keeping you away from trouble. And from causing any more," Haku replied, continuing to smile down at Chihiro. His bangs were brushed carelessly across his face, and his shoulder length hair tickled her chin.

"I am not causing any trouble, Haku. You want trouble? I'll give you tr"- Chihiro couldn't finish, though, because Haku used magic to bind her mouth shut. Chihiro shot daggers at Haku as she narrowed her eyes at her best friend. Haku knew that he was in for it later, but he didn't mind. He always won any physical fight ("fight", if you can call it that).

"Now isn't that better?" Haku said sweetly, resting his forehead against Chihiro's. Chihiro continued to glare at him.

"Right. I know I'm in for it later"- Chihiro nodded, "But for now, how about some peace and quiet? What do you say? Oh wait, you can't say anything!" Haku was really testing Chihiro.

_I don't care if he's a river god, spirit, whatever. He is __dead__ after school_ Chihiro though. Haku seemed to know what was going through her head as he added,  
>"I know you're going to try to get me back. I wish you good luck, Chihiro. But for now…"<p>

He leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose. Anytime else, Chihiro would have been happy and a little embarrassed, but this time, it made her madder. He was testing her!

_Oh, you just wait, Haku. You just wait…_

**Sorry it took so long to post. We've been having some issues… but I hope you understand. This chapter may be bad and a bit rushed, but I wanted to post **_**something**_** for you guys. Oh well. Next chapter will definitely have lots of Chihiro revenge. You'd better watch out, Haku! And where there's revenge, there's fluff! Yay fluff!**

**Anyway, Chihiro's decision is going to be announced in the next chapter. That is, if Haku's still alive to take her back! Anyway, the Spirit World will return next chapter too! Hopefully, it won't take so long to post.**

**For now, I leave you with this. Reviews are always nice! If you review a lot, I may make a special thanks to you in my intro to another chapter. Good-night!**


	8. AUTHOR'S NOTE

**Hey everyone! I'm sorry I haven't updated in forever. First, we had some issues at the house, with the cats and stuff. Then, we had some acts of God, and our internet, phone, and TV lines got knocked out for three days. I barely got through the day. Thankfully, this site can be viewed offline (but I couldn't upload) So, if you'll give me just a little bit more time to catch up, I can have a few chapters posted by the end of this week. Anyway, here's what's coming up.**

**Chihiro's plan to get back at Haku for magically sealing her mouth shut.**

**Chihiro's decision will be made.**

**The Spirit World will come into play.**

**Then, there will be someone asking for help. This someone will ask for help to stop another familiar someone from doing something very bad. This will cause very unexpected and emotionally traumatizing changes for Chihiro and Haku.**

**Hehe, have fun waiting(:**


	9. You gotta love cliffhangers

**So, this week's been quite hectic. Not long ago, we had a terrible storm that knocked out our internet, TV, and phone. So, that's why it took so long to get this up. So anyway, Chihiro makes her decision this chapter. But before that, she plans some revenge against Haku. What could a **_**human**_** do to get back at a **_**spirit**_**? Hehe, read to find out. Again, more fluff and action will be coming up in the next few chapies, as promised.**

At school the next day, Chihiro thought. And thought. And though some more.

How was she going to get back at an omnipowerful spirit who could disappear and reappear at will?

_This is going to be a bit complicated…_

(Haku POV)

Haku was still talking to her and still joked with her, but he seemed to be a little more cautious.

_Why?_ He asked himself.

_What could a mere mortal do to you? You have powers not even thought of by mortals? What could she __**possibly**__ do?_

Haku pushed that thought to the side. Chihiro had lived in the spirit world, she knew how spirits worked. They (including himself) overlooked humans, therefor didn't know everything about them. Chihiro could do something that he never knew she could do. He wasn't scared at all; he merely stayed alert.

"Hey Haku!"

Chihiro came running to Haku's locker at the end of the day. She brought another girl with her. She had long black hair and dark brown eyes, and looked thoroughly excited.

"Chihiro, hi," Haku replied, smiling.

"Haku, this is Misa. We were going to go to get something to eat. Do you want to come?" Chihiro asked in a slight rush.

"Sure, why not?" Haku replied, shrugging.

_I wonder what this kind of human food tastes like. Chihiro called it 'fast food'. Does it run quickly? I don't understand…_

Haku decided that they knew more than he, so he followed the girls out of the school and down the road. They were a bit ahead of him, whispering and giggling. Haku smiled- he loved seeing Chihiro happy. Well, he loved seeing Chihiro in general. Every once in a while, one of the two would look back, smile, then wave. Haku played along and waved back.

By the time they got to the restaurant (McDonald's, blarg… Misa chose it), Haku felt really hungry. He hadn't been talked to the whole walk there, but he didn't mind. Watching Chihiro and Misa was entertaining enough.

"Now, what do you two ding-dongs want? I'll order," Chihiro said, pulling her wallet out.

"The usual," Misa replied lazily, sitting down at a booth.

"Uhh…" Haku said. He had no idea what McDonald's was. Was it a spirit of some kind? He looked at the menu, but it only had human food on it. He didn't have a clue.

"Err, just get me something you think I'd like," Haku replied, shrugging.

"Alright," Chihiro replied, walking up to the counter.

"So," a high pitched voice said suddenly. Haku almost jumped. It was Misa.

"Hello Misa," Haku replied, smiling weakly.

"So. I heard that you and Chihiro were a thing," she said, grinning mischievously.

"What do you mean?" Haku replied, honestly confused. He had a lot to learn about modern language and culture.

"You know, together? Dating?" Misa replied, raising her eyebrows.

"Oh, well… Yes, Chihiro and I are, as you would say, 'together'," Haku replied, trying not to look bewildered. _Did I say that right?_

He seemed to have, because Misa giggled and said,

"You two are perfect together, you know that?"

"And how is that, may I ask?" Haku replied, smiling sincerely for the first time.

"Well, you both seem kind of, well, mysterious. When Chihiro first moved here, she seemed really lonely and extremely sad, too. It was more than the usual 'moving away from another town' syndrome. She looked as though a part of _her_ had left. I and a few other girls befriended her. She was a character, and a great story-teller. She'd always tell us tales about spirits and dragons and evil witches. Oh, she loved dragons so much. It seems as though you find an interest in them too," Misa said curiously.

She pointed to his neck. It was his pendant that he had made. It was a tiny model of himself. From a distance, it looked like it was made from glass or opal. In the reality that Misa didn't know, it was made from his own scales.

"Yeah, I find mythology to be extremely fascinating. I love history too," Haku replied quietly. He smiled to himself.

"Yeah, but there was one thing that always made Chi sad. Something about a promise some boy had made to her before she left. She said that they were really close. He was like a brother to her. Don't tell her I told you this, but she said that when she met him, she fell in love with him. She was only ten, but her explanation was, 'since when does love have rules?' And you know the most interesting part?" Misa said, looking weirdly at Haku.

"His name was Haku too!"

Haku had worked for Yubaba long enough to learn how to contain his emotions. Though he was freaking out and nervous, he kept his face calm and serious. He merely smiled.

"Well isn't that a coincidence?"

Haku's respect and feelings for Chihiro had grown since Misa told him about Chihiro. She had thought about him, even after she had left. She had _loved_ him. He meant something to her…

A few seconds passed before Chihiro came back with a tray with three drinks and three bags of food.

"Chi, you're the best. I owe you," Misa said, suddenly (and thankfully) forgetting her thoughts.

Haku picked up his own bag and pulled some things out. There was a container of long yellow squishy things, and a fairly large thing wrapped in a paper of some sort.

"Chihiro, what is this?" Haku asked, picking up the food.

"What? You're telling me you don't know what a burger is?" Misa exclaimed, looking at Haku with a look of disbelief.

"My parents are old fashioned. We lived in the country for most of my life," Haku lied calmly. Chihiro grinned. Her eyes told him 'nice one.' Haku smiled back.

"Well, Haku, these things here a fries. They're pieces of potato that are sliced down and baked. They taste okay with salt," Chihiro explained. Haku nodded, and tried a few. He smiled to himself and grabbed a few more.

"I can see you like fries," Misa said, grinning.

"These are delicious; I must have more," Haku replied quickly, om nom noming the fries.

"And this is called a burger. It's a piece of meat, either chicken or cow, with lettuce, tomato, cheese, onion, and pickles. I use to like them, but I'm not much of a meat fan anymore…" Chihiro trailed off. She and Haku knew exactly what she was thinking about. After her parents were turned into pigs, she never looked at meat the same way again.

Haku unwrapped the burger and picked it up. He eyed it, shrugged, and took a bite.

Then, a too familiar sensation went through his body.

_You know, you should have seen this coming…_

"OWWWWWW HOT! IT'S HOOOOOOOOOT!" he practically yelled, frantically looking around for his drink. A few heads of nearby customers turned. By that time, Misa was looking at him worriedly. On the other hand, Chihiro was laughing her head off.

"Oh, Haku. I must have given you _my_ burger by accident. I put some spicy stuff of it. How about another burger, what do you say? Oh wait, you can't say anything! Hahahahahaha…" Misa looked so confused. Why on Earth was Chihiro laughing at Haku's pain? However, after Haku drank his whole thing of water, he smiled and clapped.

"Well, well, Chihiro, I _am_ impressed. You outsmarted me once again. I believe that we are tied, two all?"

Chihiro smiled and bowed.

"I believe we are… Master Haku," she replied happily.

Suddenly, Haku felt another weird sensation go through his body, though this was more serious than the habanero hot sauce sensation. It was like an anti-adrenaline rush, and Haku suddenly felt extremely weak and tired.

"Haku?" He heard Chihiro's gentle voice say.

_Her voice sounds so distant…_

"Haku, are you okay?" her voice got farther and farther.

"Haku? HAKU! Are you- damnit, he fell…"

And then everything went pitch black…


	10. Background Checks

** Well, let's see what's going on. Haku just passed out in a random McDonald's after two days of being in the Human World. (Maybe because of the McDonald's? You never know…)**

(Still Haku's POV)

"What is wrong with Master Haku?"

"Is Master Haku going to get better?"

"Look everyone! Master Haku is opening his eyes!"

Haku's eyes opened slowly. He saw a lot of blurry figures surrounding him. Wherever he was…

"Master Haku! How are you feeling?" a voice said. Haku's eyes followed the voice. They landed on a little frog with a bright yellow tunic.

_Oh no…_

"No… No, no, no, no, no…" Haku repeated angrily, his blood beginning to boil. Everyone seemed to cower away from Haku as he sat up. He looked down. He had no shirt on, and his torso was covered with a blanket. He was surrounded by a large room with many brown drawers and lots of dancing black sprites.

"This is just a dream, just a dream… When I wake up, I'll be back at Chihiro's house. I must have had too much human food…" Haku mumbled to himself, hoping that everything he had just seen was an illusion.

"I tried that excuse already, Haku; it's been taken," a familiar voice said.

"Chihiro?" Haku mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"Chihiro? Who's Chihiro? I thought her name was Sen?" a few people in the large group muttered.

"Chihiro, Sen, Dope… Whoever you are and whatever floats your boat. I hate to break it to you, but we really are in the Spirit World," Chihiro replied, kneeling next to Haku. Haku sighed sadly.

"You know; I was just getting use to the Human World. If you really want me to go to the borderline, I could say that I almost miss it…" he said. Chihiro smiled sadly. Haku grinned a silly, half-high smile.

"Why do I feel so lightheaded?" Haku asked, looking around. His visual focus was slowly returning, and he could see all the spirits properly.

"Ehh, about that…I'll explain later. Right now, you need to rest. You've had a rough day," Chihiro said, lightly laying Haku back to the ground. There were lots of blankets and cushions supporting him. It _did_ feel good. Chihiro tucked Haku in, just like he was a little kid. Before she left, Haku said,

"Chihiro?"

Chihiro looked at Haku with worried, yet hopeful, eyes.

"Yes?" she replied calmly, looking at Haku. He sighed sadly.

"I'm sorry I ruined everything." She smiled again, and said,

"Don't worry, Dragon Boy. Everything's going to be okay…"

(Chihiro POV)

Chihiro sat on the step of Kamajii's "lair", watching Haku. She thought about everything that had happened. One moment, he was laughing and talking, the next moment, he was on the ground and not breathing. What worried Chihiro even more was the fact that Haku didn't know that something was wrong with him. He must have been poisoned or injected in the Spirit World before he left. She watched Haku carefully. He was sleeping soundly, with a few snores here and there. That thought brought back so many memories from five years ago, when Haku was sick with Yubaba's slug and the spell on Zeniba's solid gold monogram seal.

_I'm so happy to be back in the Spirit World. I have been dreaming of this day since the day I left in the first place… I just wasn't expecting to leave so early and for such circumstances. I'll never see my family again. I won't ever see my human friends again… the moment I had to say 'good-bye' to Misa was heartbreaking…_

Chihiro's emotions were changing at heart, depending on what she was thinking about. She was so caught up in her head that she didn't notice a little soot sprite gently tugging on her sleeve. Chihiro smiled and held her hand out. The soot sprite jumped in her hand.

"Hey there, Little Guy," Chihiro whispered, smiling. The soot sprite danced happily.

"Are you glad Haku's back? He's not feeling well now, but he will soon," she continued. The soot sprite nodded and continued to dance. Chihiro chuckled quietly and walked over to the little holes in the wall where the soot sprites lived. She knelt down and let the soot sprite off.

"Now you behave yourself, okay? Tell the others that I said 'hi', and thank you for taking care of my shoes and socks," Chihiro added, smiling. The soot sprite nodded and turned to go back to its friends.

_I was just talking to a piece of dust with eyes and ligaments, and I didn't feel like a lunatic. I'm in the bathhouse of the spirits, where my parents were first turned into pigs. I have a dragon best friend, a spirit sister (Lin, implied), a six armed grandfather-like figure, and I use to work for a powerful witch with a six foot tall talking baby…_

_This place is so magical…_

As Chihiro continued arguing her level of sanity with herself, she heard a light knock on the door. She looked over to see Lin come in with a basket. Chihiro smiled.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my little Dope! Come here, you, I need a hug!" Lin said, grinning broadly and putting the basket down. Chihiro ran to her friend and flung her arms around her.

"Lin, it's been so long since I've seen you! How have you been?" Chihiro replied, returning the smile.

"I've been okay. I'd have to say, working for Dragon Boy has been just a tad bit less stressful than working for Yubaba…" she replied, rolling her eyes at the thought of Yubaba. Chihiro had to laugh.

"Isn't that the truth?" she replied, happy to see her sister again.

"Eh, you had it off worse than we spirits. She _hated_ humans, but when you left, she got really worried and upset; she said that you were her best worker…"

"I'd pay her to say that to my face," Chihiro mumbled under her breath.

"Looks like your money's safe, Sen. You don't need to worry about that," Lin replied, grinning. Lin looked at Haku. Chihiro looked at him too. Lin looked back at Chihiro and Chihiro looked back at Lin, who smiled at Chihiro.

"What?" Chihiro asked. Lin sighed and replied,

"You know what, Sen? I really think you opened Haku's eyes when you were here last time."

"What do you mean?" Chihiro asked, curious about where this was going. Lin sighed again and looked around.

"Haku was always a troubled boy. He arrived here as a little boy, about six human years old, which is 450 spirit years for us. Anyway, he arrived at the Bathhouse frightened, shaken, and lost, physically and spiritually. It was as if a part of him had literally left him…" Chihiro nodded, now frowning.

_Poor Haku…_

"Well, he, unlike you, was a spirit, therefor was accepted as an equal. He got to know the spirits and the ways of the Bathhouse. He was really fun, cheerful, and very carefree. However, he needed a job. So, he went to Yubaba. She, being the nasty cockroach she still is today, tricked him into becoming her apprentice. He became so serious, his voice became monotone, and he matured too quickly. The child-like shine in his eyes was replaced with a vicious glint and he was never the same…Until you showed up…" Chihiro and Lin both smiled weakly.

"Were you two friends when you were younger?" Chihiro asked, sitting down. Lin followed suit.

"Yes, we were. In fact, he was actually my best friend. He would help me with my work before he got his job. We'd do lots of things together. Until, of course, Yubaba took him in as her own…" Lin sighed and stared into space.

"Did you ever like him, Lin?" Chihiro blurted out. She mentally smacked herself.

_Hehe, I'm back…_ (We all know who this is…)

Lin looked back at Chihiro, smiled sadly, and replied, "Oh Sen, so curious you are. No, I never did have those kinds of feelings for him. To me, he was a good friend, but nothing more…"

"But did he ever like you?" Lin laughed out loud this time.

"Sen, Sen, Sen… You have to understand- even before you arrived and way before Yubaba took control over him, Haku was not what I would call a 'ladies' man'. Sure, he was kind and sweet and all, but he never expressed any romantic feelings for me; or for anyone, in fact. Well, until you came along, of course…" Lin smiled at Chihiro, but Chihiro merely looked at the ground.

"Hey, Sen, what's wrong?" Lin asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. Chihiro looked up at Lin and shrugged.

"I just… Well… hmm…" Chihiro trailed off before continuing,

"I know that Haku has had it hard his whole life. And when I was here last, I was ten years old. There was all this talk about this 'true love' stuff when I was helping him and all…he was my friend, and I loved him like a brother. Though, I never really knew how he ever felt about me. One minute, he was cold and unkind. The next minute, he was friendly and caring…" Chihiro shrugged, but then smiled, "I guess I was just a little lost and unsure about love back then."

Lin laughed and looked around.

"Oh, Sen, you're lucky. For Haku to be kind and accepting of you, you usually have to know you for years and years and be loyal and trustworthy. Then, you have to prove it. You haven't known Haku for a majority of your life, Sen, so that's why you're confused. You say that he was unsure and changed moods from minute to minute and hour to hour? That, believe it or not, was a sign that he liked you…"

Chihiro hid her smile as she said, "Shh, Lin, he might hear you…!"

"Oh, don't be such a buzz-kill. Even if he could hear us, what could he do? Anyway, as I was saying, that was one of Haku's signs of interest. He is usually on the ball and can make decisions on the spot. He usually choses things easily and quickly, and actually sticks with them…" Lin was obviously excited about being able to tease Chihiro. Chihiro still shrugged though.

"I mean, I'm not too worried about it anymore, but…I just wanted an explanation. It worried me when I was here last…"

"I could tell," Lin replied casually.

"What do you mean?" Chihiro asked her. Lin grinned.

"You talked about him a lot, Sen. I even commented once, no twice, about it. That was when _my_ suspicions began. I didn't tell you, because I knew that you would have to leave sooner or later. My asking you about Haku would have made you want to stay."

Chihiro nodded. She pulled her knees to her chest, rested her head on her knees, and looked at Haku. He was still sleeping. His deep green bangs were brushed across his forehead. His pale skin had gotten a drop of color of its color back, and his face looked a little more relaxed.

A moment of silence followed. Silence meaning no conversation between the two young women. Silence also meaning a loud snore coming from Haku. The two looked at him.

"Yeah, real attractive, Haku!" Lin said joking disgust. Chihiro smiled at Lin's comment.

Chihiro could have sworn that she saw the corner of Haku's mouth twitch and smile.

Almost a day later, Haku was almost fully recovered. He was now walking, talking, and fraternizing again. He was serious and determined, but he was softer when Chihiro was with him. He was even more of a fluffy bunny when he was with her _alone_. (No perv intended.) The whole Bathhouse was throwing a 'welcome back' party for both Haku and Chihiro that night. However, it was afternoon, and Chihiro was walking with Haku around the balcony of his floor. (The top floor [master floor] had a balcony that went around the whole perimeter of the bathhouse)

"So, Haku… How does it feel to be top dog?" Chihiro asked him. Haku grinned down at Chihiro.

"Just reminding you, I am a _dragon_. But I do enjoy this job. It's hard work, but better than working for Yubaba…"

Chihiro rolled her eyes and replied, "I'm just going to start ignoring your sassy comments."

"And I'm going to ignore you telling me that you're going to ignore me."

"Wait, what?"

The two teenagers laughed.

"It's really amusing how confused you can be, Sen," Haku sighed.

"Wait, Sen?" Chihiro said with a bit of uncertainty in her voice.

"Well, that _is_ your name here…Would you still like me to call you Chihiro?" Haku replied.

"Whatever comes out is fine. Chihiro or Sen, either one is fine," Chihiro replied.

"Oh," she added, "Would you like me to call you Haku or Dragon Boy?"

Haku laughed. "I think you know the answer," he replied.

"Dragon Boy it is!" Chihiro exclaimed, smiling. Haku smiled, but did not do anything.

There was a moment of silence before Haku said,

"Well, Chihiro, since you will be staying here for a long time, I guess I'd better show you your room."

"Wait, I have a room? A room to myself?" Chihiro replied in disbelief.

"You know, being the best friend of the manager of the Bathhouse comes with its ups," Haku said, winking.

"Show me show me show me show me show me!" Chihiro said, gripping Haku's arm.

"Calm down, calm down, Little One. Follow me, and you shall see…" Haku replied, grabbing Chihiro's hands with his right. He led her back into the Bathhouse and around the top floor. They walked past Haku's room, and opened a door that was right next to it with a silver key.

"Now Chihiro, this is a very special key. I've put a spell on it so it can only be used by you, me, and Lin. It's to protect you and your privacy. If you ever lose it, just ask the door to open. It will recognize your touch…" Haku explained, handing Chihiro the special silver key. She nodded and grinned.

"What if I don't want Haku to have access to my room?" she asked, smiling mischievously at her friend. Haku smiled back and replied,

"Sorry for the inconvenience, Chihiro, but being the master of the Bathhouse, I believe I have the right to invade others' privacy. And especially yours, just because you said that."

Chihiro stuck her tongue out at Haku while he opened the door. When Chihiro walked in, she smiled broadly. The walls were painted a deep dark blue with bunches of stars and the moon painted on the ceiling. The borders were a complex silver design. The carpet was a deep brown color. The furniture was all made of dark oak. There was a four poster bed, a nightstand, a closet, a desk, and a large window on the far side of the room. There were numerous little trinkets and things within the room.

"Haku… I… Did you have this ready?" Chihiro asked, looking at the magnificence of the room again.

"Yes," Haku replied, smiling at his friend. She nodded.

"I love it, Haku. I am indebted to you now. I am extremely grateful."

"You have no debt, Chihiro. I was paying off _mine_ to _you_. You helped me remember my name. _You_ remembered my name for me. This is like a thank you present. But heck- a hug never hurts," Haku replied, holding his arms out. Chihiro obeyed and gave her friend a big hug. It lasted for quite a few seconds. Then, Chihiro said something extremely random.

"Haku, you smell really good…"

Haku pulled back. His cheeks had the slightest pink tint. "Thanks. I took a bath not long ago," he replied.

"That's appropriate," Chihiro mumbled under her breath. Haku laughed.

"How about you take a look around?" he suggested. Chihiro nodded and walked in. The carpet was so soft on her feet. She walked over to the bed and jumped on it. The moment she lay down on the bed, she felt like she was in heaven. The bed was so comfortable. It was so squishy and fluffy. The pillows were soft and thick and supportive. The sheets were warm and the blankets were fuzzy. She closed her eyes and almost drifted off into sleep.

"C'mon, Sleeping Beauty, don't fall asleep on me yet!" Haku said suddenly, poking her stomach. Chihiro's eyes popped open and she let out a high pitch squeak of terror as she jumped a foot in the air.

"HAKU," she said, jumping off the bed.

"That is I," Haku replied calmly. Chihiro opened her mouth, but then closed it. He had just given her a whole room to herself with the best bed and furniture and walls possible.

"You're the best, Haku," she said calmly, forgetting her first plan.

"I'm glad you like it. Now, this party that the Bathhouse is giving us is tonight. I'm sad to say that we couldn't get any of your possessions from the Human World. So, we have provided you with new clothes."

"Haku, I'm loving you more and more every second," Chihiro said as she walked to the closet. She did not see Haku blush at that comment.

"Well, I'll leave you to your clothes. Remember, it starts at 8 o'clock. Meet me by my door around, oh, 7:45? There are some things I want to give you before we go," Haku said, heading to the door.

"Haku?" Chihiro said. Haku turned.

"Yes?" he replied. Chihiro walked up to him, kissed his cheek and hugged him.

"You're too nice to me."

Haku pressed his lips against her forehead and looked into Chihiro's eyes. A playful glint shined across his deep green eyes.

"I know," he replied in a whisper, grinning.


	11. Twinkle twinkle little star

**Here's all about the party at the Bathhouse! I'll be doing quite a bit of describing of things such as dresses and makeup. You can skim it if you want, but there **_**are**_** some important stuff in them, so try to bear with me. Towards the end will get a bit fluffy, but other than that, it's just a big giant party for the Spirit World's favorite human… (And of course, Haku…)**

The minute Haku left Chihiro's room and shut the door, she yelled "Yes!" and jumped up in the air. She ran to her closet and opened it. It was a small-medium sized walk-in. There were four pairs of shoes (spirits didn't wear shoes often…), a few sets of working clothes, some casually articles, and some more formal attire. Along with the formal clothes were three dresses. Chihiro had never been much of a fan of fancy clothes, but tonight was a special night.

After about ten minutes of concentration, comparison, and process of elimination, Chihiro had decided which dress to wear. It was a medium purple one. There were little ruffles at the bottom that were white and light purple, since the color faded as it got towards the bottom. It reached just a few centimeters above her knees. (Sorry for the bad description) Chihiro didn't wear shoes- no one was going to. She looked at herself in the mirror when she was complete. Her chocolate brown hair reached her lower back and her brown eyes seemed to have a new sparkle to them. Still, she felt just a bit plain. Everything she owned was back in the Human World- a place to where she could never return…

* * *

><p>Chihiro found a white scarf in the closet and tiptoed to Haku's room. (Even though it was right next to hers) She was about to knock when she noticed that the door was left just a tad bit ajar.<p>

_Well, he _did_ tell me to meet him at 7:45. I'm right on time…let me just go see if he's there… _Chihiro thought, thinking that her reasoning was legitimate. Haku's "room", if you could say, was more like a miniature house. There were a few hallways. After being in there for a few minutes, Chihiro realized that he lived in Yubaba's old room. Haku did some serious redecorating when he took his position, because it looked a lot more masculine and powerful. Chihiro found her way to Haku's room by memory. _That_ door was left a tad bit open. She peeked inside. Haku was already dressed. He wore what looked like a casual suit. It was all black and he, like everyone else, was not wearing shoes.

"You know, I can sense your presence," Haku said, sounding thoroughly amused.

"Darn, how'd you know it was me?" Chihiro replied, walking into Haku's room. It had dark green walls with white carpet. It had a four-poster bed, a dresser, and a desk.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly call you 'light on your feet'. You're not a spirit, though, so I understand," Haku replied, smiling at Chihiro. She laughed.

"I guess I have a lot to learn," she replied quietly.

"Indeed you do," Haku said, walking to his bedside table. Chihiro waited patiently as he searched for a minute. Then, he came back with something in his hand.

"What's that you're hiding?" Chihiro asked, grinning.

"I'm not hiding anything," Haku replied, giving her a funny look, "I was actually going to give this to you."

Chihiro watched him reveal a small, but beautiful purple flower. It looked like a hairclip. Without talking, Haku gently placed the flower in Chihiro's long hair. Then, he guided her over to his mirror.

"Take a look," he said quietly.

Chihiro obeyed and examined herself and her new accessory. It wasn't much, but it really made a difference in her outfit. She felt more embellished, more beautiful, and for some odd reason, more like a spirit.

"It's beautiful, Haku. Thank you so much!" Chihiro said, smiling at Haku. Haku smiled back at her and replied, "It's more special than you think."

"How's that?" Chihiro asked curiously.

"You know that hair tie that Zeniba, No-Face, and Bôh and Yu-Bird (in their fly and mouse forms, of course) made for you? It has special protection qualities. Well, this flower is kind of like that. I picked the flower from the field on the east side of the Bathhouse. I put many of the same spells on it for protection. Also, I added some extra spells to help with the human smell, to enhance your spirit senses and instinct, and of course, just to make you look more beautiful."

Chihiro was speechless. Haku had done that all for her? It was amazing, even though it was just a flower.

"Really, Haku, this means the world to me. Thank you so much!" Chihiro replied happily.

"And there's one more spell I added to it, just for your sake," Haku added, grinning.

"Impress me," Chihiro replied excitedly.

"Just tell it what accessory you want it to be and which color you want it and it will turn itself into just that."

Chihiro smiled broadly. "Well, Haku, you impressed me," she replied, sighing.

"I'm just doing my job," Haku replied, winking.

"Right… Well, care to escort me to the party?" Chihiro asked, attempting to be fancy.

"Of course, My Lady," Haku replied, playing along. He put an arm around her, and walked her to the main lobby of the Bathhouse. People (well, spirits) were just arriving. There were tables and tables of food and drinks. Chihiro suddenly got flashbacks of the last time she got near such a feast. Her parents had 'pigged-out' on the spirits' food, therefor getting themselves turned into pigs by Yubaba.

"Don't worry Chihiro; you won't get turned into a pig this time. You're one of us now," Haku said quietly in a reassuring voice.

"H-how did you know what I was thinking about?" Chihiro replied.

"Your facial expression at the food told me all I needed to know…" Haku replied, shrugging.

"You really know how to read someone, don't you?" Chihiro asked, nudging him a little. Haku smiled and shrugged.

"I've got about 1200 years of practice," he replied humorously.

"Oh, really?" Chihiro asked, raising her eyebrows. Haku nodded.

"I can't believe I like an oldie like you!"

"Excuse me? Care to take that back?" Haku asked in a whisper, smiling.

"Nah, not for now," Chihiro replied in the same tone of voice, smiling just as broadly.

"SEN!" a voice suddenly called. Both Chihiro and Haku turned to see Lin and some of her friends running towards her.

"Hi Lin!" Chihiro said happily, nodding at her spirit friends. They, to much of Chihiro's surprise, smiled back at her.

Lin laughed and said, "Sorry Dragon Boy, she's _my_ date for the next hour. You can have her back later!" Chihiro had to laugh at Haku's face. It was a mix of confusion, disappointment, and annoyance.

"Fine," Haku replied flatly.

"We'll talk later, don't worry!" Chihiro called as she was pulled away by Lin and her buddies. They whisked her off to another room.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Chihiro asked as Lin and her friends opened bags and drawers.

"Giving you a makeover," Lin replied happily as one spirit made her sit down.

"Now, Sen, just hold still for a little bit, okay?" a spirit lady asked. Chihiro nodded reluctantly. _This is going to be interesting…_

* * *

><p>After about an hour of pulling, tugging, and lots of makeup, Lin finally held up a mirror. Chihiro gawked at the girl she saw. There was light purple eye shadow dusted across her eyelids. Her eyebrows were enhanced a little, making them look fuller. They completely cleared her skin of little marks (she had no blemishes, since she never wore any makeup) There was the slightest hint of blush and black mascara lengthened her eyelashes immensely. Then, Chihiro noticed her hair. Lin and her friends had managed to wave it beautifully. Then, they put it up in an elegant bun with 2 strands of hair hanging down. The flower was placed delicately on her left side.<p>

"I…I look like I'm twenty!" Chihiro said, feeling shocked, but grateful.

_I've never felt this beautiful before…_

"You look gorgeous, Sen. Just wait until that lucky dragon of yours sees you…" Lin winked, which caused Chihiro to blush.

"C'mon guys! The party's started a little bit ago. Let's go!" one of Lin's friends called.

"Coming! Let's go Sen! There's dancing and food and drink and games…" Lin pulled Chihiro up and out of her seat and back to the lobby. She saw how crowded it was now. There were so many spirits; Chihiro almost didn't believe her eyes.

"Here," Lin said suddenly. Chihiro jumped and turned. Lin was holding a glass of some strange greenish-blue liquid. Chihiro took it cautiously.

"What is that?" Chihiro asked, pointing at the decanter.

"Melon-berry juice, from our famous melon berry trees. It's absolutely heavenly, and alcohol-free!" Lin nodded, urging Chihiro on.

_Nothing to lose_ she thought as she shrugged and gulped it down.

Chihiro then felt a warm sensation. A sensation like wine going down your throat, only a whole lot safer and one hundred percent tastier.

"Oh my goodness, that's delicious!" Chihiro said, almost laughing at how amazing it was.

"If you want more, all you have to do is tap the glass twice, and it'll refill itself…" Lin said, tapping her own bottle twice. The greenish-blue liquid refilled to the top. Chihiro tried it herself, and her own glass was full of melon-berry juice once more. She drank another whole glass.

"Well, I can see you like melon-berry juice!" a raspy voice said suddenly. Chihiro jumped and turned to see Kamajii.

"Kamajii!" Chihiro cried happily. Kamajii used one of his many arms to give Chihiro a hug.

"It's great to see you again, Sen. We've missed you so much; the little soot balls have been so antsy lately…"

Chihiro laughed. It really _was_ great to see everyone again.

"Kamajii, I never got to talk to you formally, since we had issues when we first got here…" Chihiro said. Kamajii shrugged.

"Nothing major, besides Haku becoming master of the Bathhouse, has happened here. Yubaba did leave, but other than that, life's been pretty normal. Life without Yubaba is much more pleasant…" Kamajii trailed off, taking a drink of a more hazel colored liquid.

"Kamajii, what are you drinking?" Chihiro asked, acknowledging his drink.

"This? Why, this is some pineberry tea. Leaves from the pine tree mixed with berries and honey. It's very good; you should ask Haku to try some later. It's his favorite…" Kamajii replied, taking a sip of his tea. Chihiro nodded.

"And speaking of the devil, here he comes right now…"

Chihiro looked to where Kamajii was looking and saw a very relaxed Haku walk up to them.

"Greetings, Sen and Kamajii," he said brightly, smiling.

"Good-evening, Master Haku. I was just informing young Sen here about pineberry tea," Kamajii replied.

"Oh, yes, pineberry tea is my favorite. I see that you are drinking some, correct me if I'm wrong, melon-berry juice?" Haku asked Chihiro. She nodded and smiled.

"Another favorite of mine. You're developing very good taste, Sen," Haku replied.

"Sorry you two, but I have to go and get some hot water ready for the fog effect in a little bit. Take care!"

"Bye Kamajii!" Haku and Chihiro said at the same time. When they were seemingly alone, Haku said,

"My, my, Chihiro, what did Lin and her friends do to you?"

"They, as they would say, enhanced my facial features," Chihiro replied, smiling.

"I think they did what they achieved. Chihiro, you really do look magnificent…" Haku sighed dreamily.

"Why thank you, _Master_ Haku," Chihiro giggled.

"Chihiro, you're becoming more and more like a spirit by the minute, and I couldn't be prouder," Haku said, beaming at his friend.

"Not only that…I _feel_ like a spirit now. Not like last time, where I only felt the need to survive and get back. Haku, I feel _alive,_ for the first time in my life…

* * *

><p>The rest of the night seemed to fly by. Chihiro met many of the spirits that disliked her the first time she was here. All of the apologized dearly, and later, apologized to Haku. Chihiro tried many new drinks and foods, most of the being very tasty. She did have to get use to the ways of Spirit dancing, since it was much different than human dancing. Half of it was held up in the air. Haku taught her a few ancient (well, in comparison to her age) dances that were held on the ground.<p>

By midnight, spirits began heading back to their rooms. The numbers began to dwindle as some spirits began to clean up. Chihiro was exhausted, but she was very pleased with the party.

"Tired?" Haku said suddenly, sitting in a chair next to where Chihiro sat.

"Exhausted," Chihiro sighed, leaning her head against Haku's shoulder. He put his arm around her shoulder.

"You seem to be quite popular now," he replied.

"Yeah, well because you're the master of the Bathhouse now," Chihiro said, shrugging.

Haku looked around. "I guess it depends on what you mean by 'popular'."

Chihiro nodded in agreement and almost closed her eyes before Haku said,

"Wake up, Chihiro. I want to show you something."

Chihiro reluctantly got up and followed Haku out of the Bathhouse, across the bridge, and to the beautiful flower field right above the pigpens. They laid down on the top of the little hill and looked up at the sky. It was a deep navy blue, but not yet black. There were stars and the moon illuminating it, and silhouettes of trees looked so mysteriously beautiful.

"In the Human World, do you have stargazing?" Haku asked curiously. They sat next to each other.

"Yes. It's called astronomy. I don't like the science of it, though. I just like looking up and finding shapes and admiring its pure beauty. The stars are like a ton of little spirit eyes smiling down at you. The moon is like a goddess… it's so wonderful…" Chihiro sighed dreamily.

"I think that this would be an appropriate time to quote a cheesy Shakespeare quote from _Romeo and Juliet_," Haku said, smiling. Chihiro had to laugh at loud.

"Don't you remind me of _that_," she replied, laughing.

"Did you see the faces of some of the kids when they read some of the things? It really wasn't that bad. Personally, I found the story to be beautiful. A bit insane, but at the same time, beautiful…" Haku said, shrugging. For the two days that Haku was in the Spirit World, they did _Romeo and Juliet_.

"It's just in modern society; people don't respect or understand classic literature, art, music, or history in general. It's actually quite sad, if you ask me…"

"I really respect you, Chihiro. You _accept_ people and culture like the Spirit World's. We are not a very developed…No, that's not the right word… We are not a _modernized_ society, and in all honesty, I don't think that we ever will…" Haku shrugged, and looked at the sky.

"Don't modernize, please. I love this ancient culture. I love the attire, the architecture, and the culture in general. It's just so beautiful. Sure, I like technology and medical advancements, but this is the _Spirit World_. It's _magical_. I'd rather live here than in modern Japan. It's like a giant jump into the past," Chihiro replied, sighing.

"Modern Japan was just too much for me. It was almost, well, too _complicated_. There was too much technology, too much stuff we needed to learn, too much everything… I would have lived there longer if I had to, but I would never live there on choice. No offense to you," Haku quickly added.

"None taken, so don't worry. I actually agree with you. I just… I fell in love with this place when I first came here, even if the spirits didn't like me and my destiny was to _leave_. Now that I'm here, I feel like I'm where I'm meant to be. Here, in the Spirit World, with my _family_…" Chihiro smiled and looked up at the sky.

"I really wish you could have had more of a choice in this happening. I really didn't intend on leaving to the Spirit World on such short notice…nor on such conditions," Haku mumbled.

"Haku, don't one bit. It wasn't your fault at all… someone did something to you before you left; that's nothing you can control…" Chihiro replied, trying to sound assuring.

"I know, but still…" Haku sighed and didn't talk for the next few minutes. Then, out of nowhere, he asked,

"What _was_ your decision going to be, anyway?"

Chihiro held her breath for a minute. _I really wish he hadn't asked that…_

"I…I, well… Haku, I didn't know. Either way, I was going to leave someone. I love the Spirit World and all, but I mean…After I die, I would come here. My parents, however, they didn't remember a thing. I couldn't just leave them like that. Now, of course, has different conditions, but…I was honestly debating…" Chihiro shrugged awkwardly and tried not to meet Haku's eyes.

"Dear Chihiro, don't worry. I would have understood completely. Your happiness and comfort is more important than my wanting. I knew that we would see each other one day anyway."

A long pause followed before Chihiro casually said,

"At least I'm away from that Emiko Sato."

Haku laughed out loud in agreement. "Me too, Chihiro, me too…"

Then, out of the corner of her eye, Chihiro saw something bright fly across the sky. She immediately turned her head and saw that it was a shooting star.

"Haku, Haku, look! A shooting star!" Chihiro whispered excitedly, pulling at his sleeve.

Haku knew well enough that it was a powerful spirit getting angry and throwing space rocks at the earth, but Chihiro didn't need to know that. He knew that humans made wishes when they saw them. Chihiro closed her eyes and thought. Haku closed his eyes and played along.

"What did you wish for?" Haku asked a minute later, after both of them finished wishing.

"I can't tell you, you silly goose. It won't come true if I do," Chihiro replied, grinning.

"Well, I'll tell you mine, because I know it will happen. It is currently. I wished that you will live a long and happy life in the Spirit World with all of your friends. I also wished that one day, you could return to the Human World to visit, or possibly live. I wished you to be happy."

"Haku, that's extremely selfless. I…I'm honored, really. Most unfortunately, my wish is actually pretty self_ish_…" Chihiro shrugged.

"C'mon, Chihiro, whatever it is, I think someone could make happen." Haku smiled sweetly.

"No, Haku. I want to see if it will happen on its own. I know it will. But I can only hope for now…"

"You know, Chihiro… I think I might know what it is…" Haku said, grinning slyly.

_Oh no... but how?_ Chihiro thought to herself as she replied,

"Right…Whatever…"

"No, really…I think I do!" Haku exclaimed.

"…Really? Do you?" Chihiro asked, her face feeling just a tad bit hot.

Haku smiled. "Want to find out?"

Chihiro thanked the spirits that it was night and that Haku couldn't see her face.

She made some weird body motions that Haku took as a 'yes'.

"Wait, I never said"- Chihiro started. Haku interrupted by putting his finger on her lips.

"Hush, you," he said, leaning in and placing his lips on hers.

Chihiro was absolutely dumfounded, but then realized what was happening. It was sweet, really. It wasn't too anything- it was just right. Haku- he was gentle, sweet, and a tad bit shy. When she smiled, he did, and her night was officially _perfect_.

After a minute, Chihiro finally leaned back. Even in the light, Chihiro could tell that Haku was blushing.

"Aw, is Little Haku blushing?" she teased, smiling.

"You liked it," was his simple response. He grinned back at her.

"But…Haku, how did you know? I mean, I never said anything…" Chihiro asked curiously. Haku laughed.

"Oh, Dear Chihiro, that's the thing. I never knew- you just told me. I told you that your wish would come true."


	12. AUTHOR'S NOTE 2

**Hi again! This is another author's note. Sorry about the huge delay with updating. I've been getting busier since I got home from vacation. I have to finish some AP History work, tennis camp and tryouts are happening within the next few weeks, and I still have to practice violin. I'm going to try to update soon, but I can't promise anything. It **_**will**_** happen, though, so don't worry. So, more things will happen within the next few chapters… (These are in no particular order)**

**The question "What exactly happened to Haku…?" will be answered.**

**A distress call will arrive from an unexpected character.**

**Chihiro and Haku (and much of the other spirits) will receive very emotionally traumatizing news.**

**I hope to not make you wait **_**too**_** long. For now, R&R is appreciated.**

**-Scarlet Sunsets**


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